Railroad-switch.



PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

0. W. HUNDL EY.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17,1905,

TEE

UNITED STATES PATENT FFIOE.

CHARLES W. HUNDLEY, OF IRVINE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LEONARDA. WVEST, OF IRVINE, KENTUCKY.

- RAILROAD-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Nov. 21, 1905.

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OHARLEs W. HUNDLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Irvine, in the county of Estill and State of Kentucky, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Switches, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to switches for railways, and has for its mainobject the provision of simple means whereby cars may be run through thelocked switch without derailment of the car or the breaking of theswitch-points.

Further objects of the invention are, first, to provide a cheap andefiicient means for protecting the operating-springs and so arrange thesame as to reduce to a minimum any possibility of the parts comprisingthe switch becoming deranged or broken; second,

to provide a construction wherein the points of the switch will notstand open from the main or stock rail should the main or stock railsspread from the switch-points; third, to so construct and arrange theswitch that if the same is thrown to the main or side track it will workwithout bending or breaking the switch -points; fourth, to so constructthe switch as to do away with the plurality of rods, bolts, andgoosenecks and so arranged that the one rod performs the function ofseveral; fifth, to so arrange the different parts of the switch thatafter the cars have passed through the switch the points of the samereadjust themselves automatically to their proper position.

The invention consists of the novel constructions and combinations whichwill be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed outin the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this specification, whereinlike characters are used to refer to like parts throughout the severalfigures, Figure 1 is a plan view. Fig. 2 is anenlarged sectional viewtaken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3, Fig.2.

1 and 1 designate the main rails; 2, the rails of the side track.

8 s are the usual ties for supporting the rails, and 3 and 3 designatethe switch-points, which are removable toward and from the main rails,being preferably pivoted, as indicated at 4. A casing 5, havingupwardlyprojecting flanges 6 6 at opposite ends, is rigidly secured. tothe webs of the switch-points by bolts 7, passing through the webs andflanges. A downwardly-extending abutment 8 is provided on the casingabout midway the length thereof. Said abutment8is apertured, asindicated at 9, through which aperture passes a switch-rod 10, supportedin suitable bearings 11 11, one of the ends of the switch- .rod beingconnected to a switch-lever 12, pivoted on a switch-stand 13, by meansof which lever 12 the switch-points are moved and locked in one positionor another.

The switch-rod is provided with shoulders or abutments 1 1 and 15, whichmay be of any desired form. As shown in the drawings, shoulder 14consists of an annular casting integral with the rod 10, while shoulder15 is shown in the form of a washer secured from longitudinal movementby a pin 16.

Coiled springs 17 and 18 are placed around the switch-rod 10 between theabutment 8 and the shoulders 17 and 15, one of which springs is alwaysunder compression, while the other is under no tension.

As indicated in the drawings, the switchlever 12 has been thrown to movethe switchpoint 3 into contact with the main rail 1", thus placing thecoiled spring 18 under tension. It is clear that in this position of theparts the main track is closed and the side track open; but cars comingfrom the direction indicated by arrow (4 on the main track may passfreely, the'flanges on the car-wheels wedging between the rails 1 andswitch-point 3 and moving the switch-point 3 against the tension of thespring 18. As soon as the switch-point 3 has been released spring 18immediately returns it to its former position. In the same way when theside track is closed cars may nevertheless move from the side track tothe main track.

WhileI have herein described one means of eifecting my invention, it canbe seen that other and similar means may be readily suggested foraccomplishing the same purpose and operating in the same manner as minewithout a departure from the invention herein disclosed.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A switch mechanism comprising main rails, movable switch-points, amovable switchrod for controlling the position of the switchpointsrelative to the main rails, a movable casing secured to both of theswitch-points and having a downwardly-extending abutment, an aperture insaid abutment through Which the switch-rod passes, collars on theswitch-rod, and yielding means between said collars and said abutment tohold the switchpoints yieldingly against the main rails.

2. A switch mechanism comprising main rails, pivoted switch-pointsadapted to be moved into and out of contact therewith, a

